Sweetest Bread
by AngelicInkLing
Summary: Sanae and Akio had always been there for Tomoya and Ushio since Nagisa's death. Now, everything seemed to have gone back to normal and they are all living pretty normal lives. Normal, that is until an accident happens. Now fate has come knocking back once more, challenging their Great Dango Family's strength.[SanaexTomoya][AU]
1. The Beginning

**Disclaimer:**

I **DO NOT** own anything related to the **Clannad franchise **in this story. I own nothing except for the plot itself and any OC that will be presented. Also just to warn you I haven't looked up all of the arcs so this story and all characters in it will be based from the things I have seen in the anime and some things I got from my research.

**Sweetest Bread**

**…**

The cheery blossoms were ones again in bloom, just like the first time he saw Nagisa. It had already been a couple of months since he was able to accept that she was gone and now he had already found peace. Tomoya is now moving on with his life and starting it by paying back the people who had help him get through his time of grieving and today is one of those days. Just as he had promised before, he is now helping Sanae with bringing in the supply that she had purchased for their bakery.

"Sanae, where do you want me to put this?" Tomoya asked while trying to keep his balance with the big box he's hugging. The beautiful chestnut haired woman stopped in front of him and thought about his question while looking around the shop. Pretending to be at a lost, Sanae walked around the shop and tried to look for a spot where Tomoya can put down the box.

"Sanae?" Tomoya said as he tried to get her attention, his voice shaky just like his knees. It was difficult to hold onto the box due to its size and the weight of it wasn't helping him at all. As if to tease him more though, Sanae kept quiet and continued to tap her lips with her index finger. As if deep in thought with what to do, she continued to do so until she saw him swaying. Try as he could, Tomoya couldn't keep his balance any longer and his legs finally gave up. A loud thud echoed throughout the bakery followed by a chorus of laughter.

"Papa's so clumsy." Ushio teased after appearing from hiding behind Sanae. The two continued to laugh at his expense and after a couple of seconds both grandmother and child were holding onto their tummy. They had laughed so much that it caused both of them to suffer stomach pains. This was now Tomoya's chance to tease them back.

"Papa's so clumsy, huh." Tomoya repeated as he stood up from the floor. He readied himself to pounce on his little daughter but before he could reach her, Ushio had already run away giggling. Sanae just watched the two as they played around the bakery, the sight of them reminding her about how Akio and Nagisa played when she was still small. She was still lost in this thought when the Bakery's phone rang. Seeing that Tomoya and Ushio were both busy playing around, she had no choice but to walk over to the phone at the counter and answer it herself.

"Hello, Furukawa Bakery." Sanae cheerfully greeted. This caught Tomoya's attention making him stop in his tracks and look at Sanae over at the counter. Ushio stopped as well and followed the direction her father was staring at. Over at the counter they saw Sanae shaking, her hand holding onto the receiver of the telephone.

"Sanae?" Tomoya called out in alarm. Sanae just stood like at statue in her spot. She was just shaking, she wasn't talking to the person on the other end of the phone and instead she was just standing still with tears running down her face.

Quickly, Tomoya rushed over to Sanae's side. He tried to ask her what was wrong but she didn't answer his questions. Sensing that she was distraught due to whatever she heard from the person on the other end of the phone, Tomoya quickly grabbed the receiver from her to talk to the person who called.

"Hello? Who is this?" Tomoya inquired.

The person on the other end of the line introduced herself as a nurse from the nearby hospital and that she was calling due to an accident. She explained that there had been a pile up in an intersection in town and that Akio Furukawa was one of the people who got caught up in it.

"What?" Tomoya said in disbelief. He could feel himself shaking just like Sanae but his conscience told him to be strong. She was in shock and greatly needed him to be a person she can lean on, he needed to be there for her so he had to be strong and support her just like how she did for him before.

"Papa what's wrong?" Ushio asked curiously.

Tomoya couldn't answer her question. He couldn't look his daughter in the eyes and tell her the truth. How could he tell her that her grandfather was dead? She had already lost her mother and now she had lost her beloved grandfather as well. This was too much for the child, that much he knew but as the thought ran through his mind, another called his attention.

"Sanae." Tomoya muttered as he grabbed both Sanae's arms and pulled her close. The older woman still didn't say anything but simply held him back. Tears running down her cheeks, all that she could do was cling onto him and sob. Ushio stood in her spot, watching. She couldn't understand what was going on. Why were her Papa and grandma crying? Had she been a bad girl? Was it something she did?

* * *

**Author's Note:**

My first ever Clannad fic.. This idea came to mind after finally watching the movie (I know. It's been out so long but I was only able to watch it today).. It was so good that I immediately tried to dig up whatever I could about the characters and their arcs.. Sadly due to my laziness I couldn't dig much.. So I tried to write something base on what I know.. Hopefully you guys liked the first chapter.. (I know it's a bit short but more to come!)XD


	2. Paper Weight

**Paper Weight**

**…**

The hospital was abuzz with people that were coming and going. Some were there to visit some came for their scheduled check-up while some came to volunteer. The whole hospital was full of life all except for one corridor, the corridor in which Tomoya and the rest of her family where. Silence hung among them as they waited for the doctor who attended to Akio was brought in. They had only waited for a couple of minutes when a young doctor came out from the emergency room wearing a scrub suit. As soon as the young doctor saw them, he approached them and introduced himself.

"Are you Mrs. Furukawa?" The young Doctor asked.

Sanae answered his question with a slight nod.

"I'm sorry to tell you this madam but when your husband arrived here at the hospital, he was already in a critical state. We tried everything we could but after a couple of minutes after he entered the emergency room, his heart gave up." The young Doctor explained.

Sanae's expression remained blank even after hearing the explanation of the doctor. It could have been the due to the shock of the news or her attempt to remain strong in front of her family but Sanae looked like a dead statue to those around her. Sanae didn't cry, she didn't say anything to anyone and she didn't do anything at all.

"Papa, what did the doctor mean when he said grandpa's heart gave up?" Ushio innocently asked.

This made Sanae turn to look at her granddaughter, tears now running down her cheek as she looked at Ushio's innocent face. Her granddaughter didn't know the truth yet. It was her job to remain strong for her. As if reading her thoughts, Tomoya spoke up.

"Tomoyo, can you look after Ushio for a while?" Tomoya asked while hinting her to take the child away from there. Tomoyo quickly caught on what he was trying to say so she gestured Youhei to help her. She was easily able to persuade Ushio to come with her and before they left, she pulled Youhei along with them as well. As soon as the three had left, Tomoya approached Sanae and checked if she was okay.

"We'll get through this." Tomoya reassured her. He knew it was a difficult thing to do but they were able to do it once, they will be able to do it again. They had each other to depend on and they also have their "Great Dango Family" too. Feeling that his words were not enough to comfort her, Tomoya pulled Sanae closer to him and hugged her tight. If words were not enough then hopefully his actions would be.

Meanwhile outside the hospital…

"Aunt Tomoyo, why was grandma Sanae crying?" Ushio innocently asked.

Tomoyo looked Youhei for help but the latter simply shrugged. She didn't know how to answer the little girl's question. Ushio was still a little kid but they sometimes forget that she thinks more maturely for her age. Unsure of what to do, Tomoyo pushed her question towards her dad.

"We'll talk about it later with your Papa, okay?" Tomoyo replied with a smile. This seemed to be enough for the little girl because after that she didn't ask anything about what was happening anymore.

"Uncle Youhei… Uncle Youhei… I want one, please." Ushio told Youhei while showing him the cutest face she could make. Tomoyo simply giggled as she saw how the little girl easily manipulated her uncle into doing what she wanted. It was such a sight that for that short moment she forgot the problems that they were going through.

"Do you want one as well?" Youhei asked while being dragged by the little girl towards the ice cream truck. Tomoyo smiled at him and nodded in reply. It was such a sight to see the little girl so happy that it was breaking her heart knowing that later on they would be telling her that she won't be seeing her beloved grandpa anymore. She was still lost in that thought when her attention was called by the little girl once more.

"Aunt Tomoyo! Come on. You need to choose your ice cream's flavour." Ushio called out to her from beside the ice cream truck.

Back inside the hospital, Tomoya took care of all the necessary paper works while letting Sanae rest in one of the other rooms. He knew that she couldn't handle doing these things in her current condition so there wasn't really any point in letting her do anything at all. All that he wanted her to do was rest and nothing more. As soon as he had finished the last of the paper works, he walked back into the room where she was resting and saw that she was looking out the window.

"She's still so young and yet she's already lost both her mother and grandfather." Sanae told him while looking outside. Ushio was laughing while she played with both Youhei and Tomoyo. She looked so happy that Sanae worried what would happen if she learns of her grandfather's death.

"She still has us." Tomoya pointed out. It was true that they have already lost two of the people that they love but they still have each other. They still have a future to look forward to. Even though Akio was no longer with them, just like Nagisa, he would still be always in their heart.

Sanae was once again lost in her thoughts. Tears threatening to roll down her cheeks once more.

"Ushio and I will be moving in your place as soon as possible. Now more than ever, you're going to need someone to be there for you." Tomoya informed her. This was the first good news Sanae heard since she learned that Akio had passed away. Even though tears were threatening to roll down her cheeks, she was still able to manage to smile at him.

**…**

The wake for Akio Furukawa was a beautiful one. There were lots of people who visited, people whom they call family and friends that they had met through the years. Everyone had a good thing to say about her husband and everyone was willing to help in any way that they could. After that day at the hospital, Tomoya talked to Ushio and explained about what had happened to her grandfather. Unlike what they had expected, Ushio acted more maturely about it.

"So grandpa's gone off to where mama is. I'm glad, Mama won't be lonely anymore and there will be someone to look after her now." Ushio told them with a smile. Her cheerful demeanour as she said those words pinched the hearts of everyone that was with them. Tomoya was so proud that his daughter was so mature and that she was staying strong through all of it for them.

"I love you so much." Sanae told Ushio before bringing her into a hug. The little girl smiled and hugged her grandmother back. She knew that her grandma Sanae was lonely because of her grandpa's passing but she wasn't going to cry, she wasn't going to show that she was lonely, instead she was going to show them that she was happy because that was what her grandpa would do. He would be strong for the people he loves even though he was hurting inside.

Everything went smoothly up to the last day and before Akio was buried both Tomoya and Ushio had completely settled in.

**…**

The sun shined brightly as it pierced the curtains of Ushio's room. The gentle breeze brushing her skin telling her to wake up. It was unusual for a little girl to be up at that time but circumstances weren't normal as well.

"Oh!" Ushio exclaimed as she quickly jumped out of bed. Looking at the clock on her bedside table, she saw that it was already four o'clock. There was no more time to be wasted so she quickly dashed off to her grandma's room and gently opened the door before entering. Sanae was still sleeping soundly in her bed unaware that she had entered her room. The cold night didn't help her sleep because memories of Akio kept haunting her.

"Grandma… grandma…" Ushio repeated as she gently shook Sanae awake.

After a couple of attempts, Sanae slowly opened her eyes. Half-awake she looked at her cute granddaughter's lively form, unsure of the reason for the little girl's early visit to her room. As if reading what was on her mind, Ushio jumped on the bed and hugged her grandma tightly.

"It's almost late. We need to start making bread." Ushio informed her while she tried to remove the blanket that was covering Sanae.

"I'm sorry that she woke you up." Tomoya apologized. Sanae shook her head and brushed the thought away. There was no need for him to be sorry for Ushio's visit as it was something she really needed.

"Come on, those bread don't make themselves." Sanae cheerfully told Ushio as she sat up on the bed, forgetting that she was only wearing a thin silk night gown underneath. Tomoya blushed as he saw how she was dressed. Feeling completely embarrassed he turned around so that Sanae would be able to cover herself.

"Papa, look. Granma's clothes are so pretty." Ushio innocently said as she marvelled at Sanae's silk night gown. Tomoya quickly turned to leave to avoid the awkward situation but stumbled on his own foot while he tried to get away. This caused him to crash face first on the floor making both Sanae and Ushio burst out laughing.

"Papa you're so clumsy." Ushio told him as she came running to his aid.

**…**

Tomoya and Ushio had already fixed breakfast and were now preparing the things needed to bake their bread when Sanae came down from her room. She was so surprised by what they had already accomplished that she couldn't hide the smile that was showing on her face. It was one of those rare moments after Akio's death that she was really happy.

"Grandma, look. I prepared the breakfast table." Ushio proudly told her. The little girl stepped aside so that she could see the prepared table. Food had already been placed in the middle and the dinning utensils had already been properly placed. Sanae felt a warm hand caress her heart, she was so proud of her granddaughter that she almost forgot the pain she was going through.

"Come on take a seat. I've cooked all of your favourite dishes." Tomoya informed her as he pulled a chair for her to sit on. Sanae obliged and sat at the offered seat. In a matter of seconds the both father and daughter were seated as well and they started with their breakfast.

**…**

"Okay, now to get to work." Sanae muttered as she faced her work table. She was full of energy because of the breakfast the two had prepared for her so she was looking to get a lot of work done that morning. She was just about to get started when she saw Ushio walked towards her wearing her own apron.

"Grandma, I want to help make paper weights as well."

"Ushio." Tomoya called his daughter's attention.

Sanae couldn't help her tears fall down as she smiled at her granddaughter. "Paper weights", was the same name her husband called the bread that she makes. No matter how much she tried before it was always the same, but she never gave up though because of Akio's constant encouragements.

"I'm sorry." Tomoya apologized.

"No, I'm the one who should be sorry. I just remembered something." Sanae told him with a reassuring smile. She wiped the tears forming in her eyes and then went to face her dough once more. Tomoya wanted to say something to comfort her but his attention was called when Ushio spoke.

"Oh no! Papa come on we're going to be late."Ushio announced. The little girl quickly grabbed her bag and then headed for the door. There she waited for Tomoya to pick up his own things and follow her.

"I'll come back immediately so that I can help you here." Tomoya told Sanae before walking over to his daughter and exiting the shop. Sanae was left alone in the kitchen with no one but the memories of Akio accompanying her. Both Tomoya and Ushio were working hard to cheer her up and help her, so she needs to do her best as well. After wiping the tears in her eyes, Sanae faced the dough in her kitchen's table and got to work.

**…**

As soon as Tomoya got back from Ushio's school, he quickly headed for the kitchen and looked for Sanae. The older woman was however nowhere to be seen. Panic suddenly gripped him. Where was Sanae? Did something happen to her? Did she do something she shouldn't have? He was so lost in these thoughts that he didn't notice the front door of the shop open.

"Oh, you're already here." Sanae said in surprise.

Tomoya quickly looked up and saw her, relief slowly coursing through his body. Without thinking he closed the gap between them and hugged the older woman. This surprised Sanae but she didn't push him away, instead she patted his head and tried to calm him down.

"Thank God, I was so scared." Tomoya told her, his eyes already watery with tears. Sanae immediately understood what Tomoya meant. She didn't want to worry him but something that happened earlier upset her so she decided to take a walk. As if to offer an explanation, she showed him one of the bread that she had baked.

"Just like what Akio used to say, they're nothing more than paper weights." Sanae said as she broke free of his hug of her. Tomoya didn't believe that they would still be as bad as they were when he had first tasted them. True they were inedible when he had his first bread but Sanae has greatly improved since then. It even came to a point where people would visit from far away because of her bread's special sweet taste.

Biting into the bread that Sanae showed him, he tried to taste what was wrong with it. As soon as the taste of the bread touched his tongue, flashes of things that happened during the time she was baking them flooded his mind. There was no mistaking it, the bread wasn't sweet at all instead it was salty.

"_Tears?_" Tomoya thought as the image of Sanae crying while massaging the dough came to mind.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I hope you liked this 2nd chapter.. I know it was a bit heavy but I hope the emotion I was trying to show you readers were felt.. (Heavy, but I was able to make the chapter longer.. Hurray! XD) the wheels of fate are now slowly starting to turn.. One-by-one the changes will start to come and a new phase in their life will start.. If you like the story then please leave a review.. Every review counts and it helps me determine if you guys like the flow of the story I'm writing..


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